|
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who later achieved fame as the writer Mark Twain, served as second lieutenant in a Confederate militia, but only for two weeks, leading many to describe his loyalty to the Confederate cause as halfhearted at best. In The Reconstruction of Mark Twain, Joe B. Fulton challenges these long-held assumptions about Twain's advocacy of the Union cause, arguing that Clemens traveled a long and arduous path, moving from pro-slavery, secession, and the Confederacy to pro-union, and racially enlightened. A deft blend of biography, history, and literary studies, this book offers a bold new assessment of the work of one of America's most celebrated writers. Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- 1. "The Killing of Strangers": MARK TWAIN'S MISSOURI AND THE CIVIL WAR, 1835-1861 -- 2. "I Naturally Love a Yankee": TWAIN'S CIVIL WAR IN NEVADA, 1861-1864 -- 3. "The Genative, Dative, and Ablative Cases of Traitors": TWAIN'S SAN FRANCISCO SATIRES, 1864-1866 -- 4. Seeking a Reputation "That Shall Stand Fire": TWAIN, RECONSTRUCTION, AND THE IMPEACHMENT CRISIS IN WASHINGTON, 1866-1869 -- 5. The "Lincoln of Our Literature": THE RECONSTRUCTED MARK TWAIN, 1870-1910 -- Notes -- Works Cited -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W.
|
